Fruit and vegetable packing apparatus



m I E cm am A w D N A T I U R F Jan. 3, 1928.

Filed Dec. 24, 1925 2 Sheets- Sheet l VWM TTR YS Jan. v3, 1928.

A. B. CLISSON FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PACKING APPARATUS Filed Deo. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 3,

UNITED STATES PATEN 1,655,134 T oFFlcE.

ALBERT IB. OLISSON, OF SYRACUS, YORK.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PACK-BTG- APPARATUS( application ned December 24, 1925. serial No. 71462.

This invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for packing fruit 1n preparation for storage or transportatlon.

It is well-known that in packing fruit I such as apples, peaches, pears and the like in suitable baskets and analogous receptacles '1t iscustol'nary to use the most select fruit o f its kind and to arrange this selected fruit in as symmetrical and attractive manner as possible as the top layer within the receptacle while the remainder of the fruit within the receptacle may be more or less promiscuous in its arrangement from thebottom to the top layer.

The common practice is to place one layer of the selected fruit in a symmetrical and attractive relation upon a temporary horizon-` end.

When the cone is filledl in the manner described, the outer reinforcing part thereof is removed by hand by upward displacement and the basket into which the'fruit is to be placed for storage or transportation is then placed in an inverted position over the inner lining which serves to retain the fruit in lace after the outer reinforcing member lias been withdraw and while the basket is being placed over and upon the inner lining. Following this latter operation the temporary support for the selected layer of fruit together with the remaining portion of 'the fruit within the vinner lining and the basket are inverted Iso as to brin the basketwith the fruit thereinl right si e up.

The temporary support for the' selectedlayer of fruit is then removed and vthe top Y of the basket covered with the usual closure -of the temporary right positions is quite laborious and remain object of the present invention is to provide means whereby this operation may e more conveniently and expeditiously carried out with less labor and expense than has heretofore been ractised.

In other words, I ave sought to provide a fruit packing device which may be more expeditiously operated by a cheaper class of labor such as boys or girls than has heretofore been practised.

.quires strong men for that purpose and the Another object is toprovide means whereby the fruit may be caused to settle down into more compact space during the process of packing without affecting the symmetrical arrangement ofthe selected layer.

Other objects and uses relatin to specific parts of the apparatus will be rought out 1n the following description..-

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus formin the subject matter of my i11- -vention omittlng the fruit receptacles.

Figure 2 is a plan of the detached temporary support for the selected layer of fruit.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the detached reinforcing shell for the inner conical lining.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view ofa portion of one side of the fruitv receiving and supporting device showing the means for locking and releasing the outer reinforcing shell upon and from the marginal edge support for the selected layer of fruit.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on llne 5-5, Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional view similar to Figure 5 except that the lower portion of the main supporting frame is broken away, the outerreinforcin shell removed from nthe inner lining am? operative position upon the marginal edge o the temporary support for the selected layer, the fruit supposed to be packed within the inner lining and upon the temporary bottom being omitted, the dotted lines indicating the position of the filled basket after being inverted from its filling position to its normal upright position.

As illustrated this apparatus comprises a main supporting frame -lof wood or any other suitable material having a substantially horizontal top composed of side rails -2- and end rails 3f and 35- the basket placed in l los arranged so as to form an intervening rectangular opening.

The topor work-table of the frame -1- is approximately the same width as the diameter of the basket into which the fruit is to be packed while the length of said top is approximately twice that of the diameter of the basket to allow both ends to be used at the Sametime, one for filling the receptacle and placing the covers on the filled receptacles.

A. pair of brackets -4- are secured to and extend upwardly from the central portions of opposite side rails EZ- of the main supporting frame in transversel spaced relation approximately equal to the width of the frame or opening between the said rails 2, the height of said brackets b'eing equal to approximatel one-half of the height of the basket or ot er receptacle to be filled so as to enable the basket to assume about the same horizontal place in both its inverted and reverted positions.

The upper ends of the brackets -4- are connected by a cross shaft -5- which forms a journal bearing for a pair of swing- 'ing frames or levers -6- and -7-, both of which are substantially L-shaped longitudinally and the ends of their shorter arms journale'd side by side upon the shaft -5- coaxial therewith.

The length of the shorter arms of the swinging frames 6- and -7- is substantially equal to the distance from the shaft 5 to the upper edges of the side rails -2- and end rails 3 and 35- while the length of the longer arms of both swinging frames is somewhat greater thanthe distance between the vertical plane of the shaft 5 and outer en'ds of the main frame -1- so as to normallyrest upon the upper edges of their respective end rails -3- and which conditions the longer arms of the swinging frames will lie in substantially the same horizontal plane while their shorter arms will be disposed in substantially the same vertical plane as shown in Figures 1 and 5.

The upper edges of the end rails and -3- are rovided with recesses -8 and L84- of su stantially the same depth as the thickness of the adjacent portions of their corresponding frames -7- and 6- to plarmit the longer arms of said swin ing.

ames to normally lie in a horizontalp ane slightly4 below the'upper ,edges of the side wa s.

For clearness of description the swinging frame -7 may be termed the carrier lever for the reason that it carries the container during the packing operation while the other frame 6 ma be termed the clamping lever by reason o its function of holding the filled container upon the supporting carrier lever during the inversion of said carrier le ver from its filling position to its position as shown by dotted lines in Figure 6.

The longer arm of the lever -7-" is referably Y-shaped with its shorter arm orming the terminal ends of the branches of the Y and its stem normally extending beyond the corresponding endrail -3-t to form a handle by which the lever may be operated and also to form an anchorage for receiving a suitable tie member -awhereby the free ends of the levers may be connected to each other in the manner shown in Figure 6.

A ring -9- Vis secured by rivets orother fastenin means to the upper face of -the lever to extend upwardly therefrom for receiving and supporting the marginal edges of a metal disk or tray -10 which may be removably secured upon the upper edge of the ring -9- to permit the interchange of different forms of trays according to the size or nature of the fruit to be packed.

As illustrated, the disk -10- is provided with circular concentric corrugations forming alternate circular ribs and troughs for receiving the selected fruit which is arranged symmetrically in the troughs in close proximity to render the top layer of the fruit more attractive lwhen packed in a manner presently described. Y

The marginal edge of the disk -10- extends beyond the ring -9 .toform an annular ledge l1- for 'receiving and supporting the 'larger ends of an inner conical lining l2- and an outer reinforcing shell I3-,- which is also conical and adapted to fit closely upon the erimeter of the inner lining l2- for hol ing said lining against spreading while the fruit is being packed therein.

-13- are preferably of the same height, the inner shell being usually made of cardboard or similar cheap material into which the fruit is directly placed during the packing operation, both shells being open at the top and bottom to permit the passage of fruit therethrough onto the temporary supporting tray -1o-.

In preparing for the packing of the fruit in a basket or equivalent receptacle the inner lining -.-12- is first placed in an upright position with its lower larger end resting on the marginal ledge -11- of the temporary bottom -10- after which-the rein orcing shell `--13- is placed over and upon the li11- ing 12- with its lower larger end alsol resting on the ledge -11-.

The selected fruit to form the top layer of the main receptacle is then placed by .Y The inner and outer shells 12- andv guided in a suitable bracket land adapted to engage a contact plate on the underside of the lever -7- as shown in Figure 5, the lower end of said tappet or plunger 14- being pivotally connected to the innerend of a pedal lever #-17- which is fulcrumed on the main supporting frame -1- and adapted to be operated by the foot of the user to operate the plunger F14- intermittingly against the underside of the lever -7- and thereby7 to agitate and settle the fruit within the inner recep- During this agitation of the carrier lever -7- and container mounted thereon, the shells 12- and -13- are held against upward displacement by one or more detents -16- which are pivoted at l8- to a bracket or brackets -13- on the outer shell -13- and are movable into and out of engagement with the marginal edge of the tray -l0- as shown in Figure 4 and are adapt-ed to be tripped at will by one or more hand-operated slides ,-16- carried by the shell -13- as shown in Figure 3;

When the inner shell 12- is filled in the manner described, the detent lis tripped and the outer reinforcing shell -13- is removed and replaced by a basket -A- which is inverted and placed over and upon thc periphery of the lining shell -12- as shown by full 'lines in Figure 6.

The clamping lever tiis-then adjusted across the bottom of the basket and secured by means of a cord or cable -afto the free end of the lever -7- thereby firmly holding tlie filled container between the two levers.

The lever -7- is then rocked upwardly and laterally by hand to the opposite side of the supporting -shaft -5- thereby restoring the filled basket to its normal upright position with the clamping lever 6 resting upon the top of the frame and the carrier lever -7- extending across the top of the basket and its tray 10.-

The cord or tie member --ais then loosened from engagement with the free end of the lever -7- to permit the return 0f said lever with the ring -9- and tray -10- thereon to their 'filling positions leaving the filled basket still resting upon the top of the frame -1- in substantially the samehorizontal plane as when illin The usual cover for the basket may t en be placed in operative position across and upon the open end of the basket for retaining the fruit therein whereupon the basket with the fruit therein may be removed by hand or otherwise for storage or transportation, the parts of the packing device being then in position for a repetition of the packing operation previously described.

What I claim is:

l. In a fruit and vegetable acking apparatus, a supporting lever for t 1e container of the articles to be packed, and a clamping lever for holding the container on the supporting lever, both levers being hinged to swing about a common axisfrom positions at one side to positions at the opposite side of said axis and having their container-supporting portions offset substantially equal distances from said axis.

2. In a fruit packing apparatus, a frame, a pair of opposed levers hinged to the frame to swing about a fixed axis to opposite sides of said axis for supporting a container for the fruit between them, the hinged ends of said levers being offset substantially equal distances from the main portions thereof.

3. In a fruit packing apparatus, a frame, a pair of opposed levers hinged to the frame to swing about a fixed axis to opposite sides of said axis for supporting a container for the fruit between them, both of said levers being L-shaped longitudinally to enable the container to be supported in substantially the same horizontal plane at both sides of said axis.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of December, 1.925.

ALBERT B. CLISSON. 

